How much oil do you use? (4 stroke)

I have a 4 stroke merc 60, uses no oil between changes @ 100 hrs.
Be sure to tilt motor all the way up and then back down before you check it or
change it so you drain out all the nooks and crannies.
 >> Stay informed about: How much oil do you use? (4 stroke) 

"Matt Lang" <web1000.DeleteThis@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:a0e12e54.0411171252.6ffa923a@posting.google.com...
 > Guys,
 >
 > I am trying to find out how much more (or less) oil a 2 stroke uses
 > compared to a 4 stroke.
 >
 > Thus, I need to know about your 4 stroke motor (inboard or outboard):
 >
 > - Horsepower, brand
 > - amount of oil it takes for an oil change (incl filter)
 > - how often do you change your oil (how many hours)
 > - how often does the manufacturer recommend you change the oil?
 > - Does your motor burn or lose oil? Do you have to top up in between
 > oil changes?
 >
 > Thanks for your help!
 >
 > Matt

Don't have specs in front of me, so I can only answer the last question
regarding my Johnson 1996 15 hp 4 stroke (model J15FREDR). It consumes NO
oil between April and November. Zero. I change it twice during that time
period, and based on memory, that's about twice as often as OMC recommends.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How much oil do you use? (4 stroke) 

On 17 Nov 2004 12:52:09 -0800, web1000.TakeThisOut@shaw.ca (Matt Lang) wrote:

 >Guys,
 >
 >I am trying to find out how much more (or less) oil a 2 stroke uses
 >compared to a 4 stroke.
 >
 >Thus, I need to know about your 4 stroke motor (inboard or outboard):
 >
 >- Horsepower, brand
 >- amount of oil it takes for an oil change (incl filter)
 >- how often do you change your oil (how many hours)
 >- how often does the manufacturer recommend you change the oil?
 >- Does your motor burn or lose oil? Do you have to top up in between
 >oil changes?
 >
 >Thanks for your help!
 >
 >Matt

210hp, Mercruiser 5.7L
5qts
At end of every season (about 60 hrs)
Not sure, think it's every 100 hours
Have never added oil between changes. Checked every trip.

You're welcome!

John H

On the 'PocoLoco' out of Deale, MD,
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How much oil do you use? (4 stroke) 

Matt Lang wrote:
 > Guys,
 >
 > I am trying to find out how much more (or less) oil a 2 stroke uses
 > compared to a 4 stroke.
 >
 > Thus, I need to know about your 4 stroke motor (inboard or outboard):
 >
 > - Horsepower, brand

80/na

 > - amount of oil it takes for an oil change (incl filter)

6 ltrs (9-10 pints)

 > - how often do you change your oil (how many hours)

50 hrs (oops sometimes a "little" longer:-)) At lease every 6 mths in
time regardless of hours & always new filter(s)

 > - how often does the manufacturer recommend you change the oil?

NA

 > - Does your motor burn or lose oil? Do you have to top up in between
 > oil changes?

no/no

 >
 > Thanks for your help!

welcome:-)

K
 >
 > Matt<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How much oil do you use? (4 stroke) 

"Doug Kanter" <ancientangler RemoveThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<ADPmd.4048$UM6.283@news02.roc.ny>...
 > "Matt Lang" <web1000 RemoveThis @shaw.ca> wrote in message
 > news:a0e12e54.0411171252.6ffa923a@posting.google.com...
  > > Guys,
  > >
  > > I am trying to find out how much more (or less) oil a 2 stroke uses
  > > compared to a 4 stroke.
  > >
  > > Thus, I need to know about your 4 stroke motor (inboard or outboard):
  > >
  > > - Horsepower, brand
  > > - amount of oil it takes for an oil change (incl filter)
  > > - how often do you change your oil (how many hours)
  > > - how often does the manufacturer recommend you change the oil?
  > > - Does your motor burn or lose oil? Do you have to top up in between
  > > oil changes?
  > >
  > > Thanks for your help!
  > >
  > > Matt
 >
 > Don't have specs in front of me, so I can only answer the last question
 > regarding my Johnson 1996 15 hp 4 stroke (model J15FREDR). It consumes NO
 > oil between April and November. Zero. I change it twice during that time
 > period, and based on memory, that's about twice as often as OMC recommends.


Ok How much oil do you need for an oil change?

Matt<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How much oil do you use? (4 stroke) 

"K. Smith" <ksmith1 DeleteThis @msn.com> wrote in message news:<3021ssF2o16m5U1 DeleteThis @uni-berlin.de>...
 > Matt Lang wrote:
  > > Guys,
  > >
  > > I am trying to find out how much more (or less) oil a 2 stroke uses
  > > compared to a 4 stroke.
  > >
  > > Thus, I need to know about your 4 stroke motor (inboard or outboard):
  > >
  > > - Horsepower, brand
 >
 > 80/na
 >
  > > - amount of oil it takes for an oil change (incl filter)
 >
 > 6 ltrs (9-10 pints)
 >
  > > - how often do you change your oil (how many hours)
 >
 > 50 hrs (oops sometimes a "little" longer:-)) At lease every 6 mths in
 > time regardless of hours & always new filter(s)
 >
  > > - how often does the manufacturer recommend you change the oil?
 >
 > NA
 >
  > > - Does your motor burn or lose oil? Do you have to top up in between
  > > oil changes?
 >
 > no/no
 >
  > >
  > > Thanks for your help!
 >
 > welcome:-)
 >
 > K
  > >
  > > Matt



Thanks to you guys for the data! Keep 'em coming!

I think its safe to say that if you do run your motor only few hours a
year, like 10-20, a 2 stroke may actually consume less oil. It will
change the more you run it ... Still more data needs to be collected.

A 4 stroke that burns oil, and I was told for cars 1l per 1000 km is
considered no defect (by the manufacturer of course! The owner sees it
differently) will use quiet a bit of oil.

Matt<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How much oil do you use? (4 stroke) 

Matt Lang wrote:
 > "K. Smith" <ksmith1 DeleteThis @msn.com> wrote in message news:<3021ssF2o16m5U1 DeleteThis @uni-berlin.de>...
 >
  >>Matt Lang wrote:
  >>
   >>>Guys,
   >>>
   >>>I am trying to find out how much more (or less) oil a 2 stroke uses
   >>>compared to a 4 stroke.
   >>>
   >>>Thus, I need to know about your 4 stroke motor (inboard or outboard):
   >>>
   >>>- Horsepower, brand
  >>
  >>80/na
  >>
  >>
   >>>- amount of oil it takes for an oil change (incl filter)
  >>
  >>6 ltrs (9-10 pints)
  >>
  >>
   >>>- how often do you change your oil (how many hours)
  >>
  >>50 hrs (oops sometimes a "little" longer:-)) At lease every 6 mths in
  >>time regardless of hours & always new filter(s)
  >>
  >>
   >>>- how often does the manufacturer recommend you change the oil?
  >>
  >>NA
  >>
  >>
   >>>- Does your motor burn or lose oil? Do you have to top up in between
   >>>oil changes?
  >>
  >>no/no
  >>
  >>
   >>>Thanks for your help!
  >>
  >>welcome:-)
  >>
  >>K
  >>
   >>>Matt
 >
 >
 >
 >
 > Thanks to you guys for the data! Keep 'em coming!
 >
 > I think its safe to say that if you do run your motor only few hours a
 > year, like 10-20, a 2 stroke may actually consume less oil. It will
 > change the more you run it ... Still more data needs to be collected.
 >
 > A 4 stroke that burns oil, and I was told for cars 1l per 1000 km is
 > considered no defect (by the manufacturer of course! The owner sees it
 > differently) will use quiet a bit of oil.
 >
 > Matt

  Save you do huge hours per season I doubt a 4 stroke would "use" less
oil than one of the new epa compliant 2 strokes but you might also consider;

(i) The 4 stroke doesn't put oil out into the air or the water, it gets
"changed". Hopefully the used oil gets disposed of correctly, here
that's mostly take it to a garage for their recycle tanks.

(ii) You should at least once a season clean out the oil reservoir on
the 2 strokes (new or old type), the oil in a vented tank absorbs
moisture which creates a sludge in the bottom of the tank.

(iii) The "new" 2 strokes use or at least recommend special dealer only
oils; can be expensive.

K<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How much oil do you use? (4 stroke) 

I am probably a heavy user here, about 300-350 hours a year in a 12 month
boating season.
I change my oil 4 times a year, using 3 quarts a change and none between. At
that rate I am using a lot less oil than I did with a 2 stroke. It also gets
recycled.
Figure your oil goes in at 50:1 in a 2 stroke, my 60 uses 3 quarts so I could
burn 37.5 gallons of mix but since you usually use a pint per 6 gallon can it
is really 36.125 gallons. That would only last me about 10 hours at a moderate
cruise speed. The oil saving for me is 90% over a 2 stroke. I could even save
more if I used auto oil instead of Merc brand.. If you also add in the actual
fuel efficiency it is greater than that.
I bet the saving is even greater when you get up into the big Vs. His 6 quart
oil change would "mix" about 72 gallons of gas. A 250 2 stroke could easily
burn that on one day's offshore fishing trip.
 >> Stay informed about: How much oil do you use? (4 stroke) 

"K. Smith" <ksmith1.RemoveThis@msn.com> wrote in message news:<3059dsF2q1vmtU1.RemoveThis@uni-berlin.de>...
 > Matt Lang wrote:
 >
  > Save you do huge hours per season I doubt a 4 stroke would "use" less
 > oil than one of the new epa compliant 2 strokes but you might also consider;

I will create some charts and post ... Besides the ETEC they all use
lots of oil . My optimax runs at 50:1 - 60:1

 >
 > (i) The 4 stroke doesn't put oil out into the air or the water, it gets
 > "changed". Hopefully the used oil gets disposed of correctly, here
 > that's mostly take it to a garage for their recycle tanks.

Yes true ... this time however cost is the only objective

I am unsure which is worse: 2 stroke oil burnt or 4 stroke oil in the
landfills in form of oily rags and filters which most people dont
dispose properly (assuming they recycle the actual oil)

 >
 > (ii) You should at least once a season clean out the oil reservoir on
 > the 2 strokes (new or old type), the oil in a vented tank absorbs
 > moisture which creates a sludge in the bottom of the tank.

Yikes! I didnt know that ... how is that done? flush it with oil?

 >
 > (iii) The "new" 2 strokes use or at least recommend special dealer only
 > oils; can be expensive.

They ARE very expensive. Although you can run an optimax on the
(relatively) cheap oil it is STRONGLY not recommended ....

Thanks for your good input!

Matt<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How much oil do you use? (4 stroke) 

"Matt Lang" <web1000 DeleteThis @shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:a0e12e54.0411181908.5d44021e@posting.google.com...
 > "Doug Kanter" <ancientangler DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:<ADPmd.4048$UM6.283@news02.roc.ny>...
  > > "Matt Lang" <web1000 DeleteThis @shaw.ca> wrote in message
  > > news:a0e12e54.0411171252.6ffa923a@posting.google.com...
   > > > Guys,
   > > >
   > > > I am trying to find out how much more (or less) oil a 2 stroke uses
   > > > compared to a 4 stroke.
   > > >
   > > > Thus, I need to know about your 4 stroke motor (inboard or outboard):
   > > >
   > > > - Horsepower, brand
   > > > - amount of oil it takes for an oil change (incl filter)
   > > > - how often do you change your oil (how many hours)
   > > > - how often does the manufacturer recommend you change the oil?
   > > > - Does your motor burn or lose oil? Do you have to top up in between
   > > > oil changes?
   > > >
   > > > Thanks for your help!
   > > >
   > > > Matt
  > >
  > > Don't have specs in front of me, so I can only answer the last question
  > > regarding my Johnson 1996 15 hp 4 stroke (model J15FREDR). It consumes
NO
  > > oil between April and November. Zero. I change it twice during that time
  > > period, and based on memory, that's about twice as often as OMC
recommends.
 >
 >
 > Ok How much oil do you need for an oil change?
 >
 > Matt

What's the difference? I mean, are you collecting this information in
order to make a purchase decision? Or, what?<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How much oil do you use? (4 stroke) 

Matt Lang wrote:

 > Guys,
 >
 > I am trying to find out how much more (or less) oil a 2 stroke uses
 > compared to a 4 stroke.
 >
 > Thus, I need to know about your 4 stroke motor (inboard or outboard):
 >
 > - Horsepower, brand

Ford-based Palmer Crusader ThermoElectron 220 hp V-8

 > - amount of oil it takes for an oil change (incl filter)

5 qts. inc filter, @ $4.09 qt. for Mobil 1

 > - how often do you change your oil (how many hours)

45-50 hrs.

 > - how often does the manufacturer recommend you change the oil?

100 hrs

 > - Does your motor burn or lose oil?

No.

Do you have to top up in between oil changes?

No.


At about 6 gal/hr. on average, we are "using" about the same amount of
oil per hour, at about $2.05/pt., as our Glastron/115 hp Evinrude which
also uses about 6 gal/hr of 50:1 in normal mixed use. It's just about a
wash with us - both are 16' fiberglass boats - unless we start using the
inboard more (which we probably will as the kids start skiing more).

When we were using the Glastron 100-120 hrs. / year, and snowmobiling
all winter, we bought a 55 gallon drum of Kendall 2 stroke. That was a
big money saver... it kills me to pay retail for oil now...

Rob<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How much oil do you use? (4 stroke) 

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 15:07:33 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
<ancientangler.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote:

 >
 >"Matt Lang" <web1000.DeleteThis@shaw.ca> wrote in message
 >news:a0e12e54.0411181908.5d44021e@posting.google.com...
  >> "Doug Kanter" <ancientangler.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
 >news:<ADPmd.4048$UM6.283@news02.roc.ny>...
   >> > "Matt Lang" <web1000.DeleteThis@shaw.ca> wrote in message
   >> > news:a0e12e54.0411171252.6ffa923a@posting.google.com...
   >> > > Guys,
   >> > >
   >> > > I am trying to find out how much more (or less) oil a 2 stroke uses
   >> > > compared to a 4 stroke.
   >> > >
   >> > > Thus, I need to know about your 4 stroke motor (inboard or outboard):
   >> > >
   >> > > - Horsepower, brand
   >> > > - amount of oil it takes for an oil change (incl filter)
   >> > > - how often do you change your oil (how many hours)
   >> > > - how often does the manufacturer recommend you change the oil?
   >> > > - Does your motor burn or lose oil? Do you have to top up in between
   >> > > oil changes?
   >> >
   >> > Don't have specs in front of me, so I can only answer the last question
   >> > regarding my Johnson 1996 15 hp 4 stroke (model J15FREDR). It consumes
 >NO
   >> > oil between April and November. Zero. I change it twice during that time
   >> > period, and based on memory, that's about twice as often as OMC
 >recommends.
  >>
  >> Ok How much oil do you need for an oil change?
 >
 >What's the difference? I mean, are you collecting this information in
 >order to make a purchase decision? Or, what?

Matt is a spy for Halliburton.

Later,

Tom
-----------
"Angling may be said to be so
like the mathematics that it
can never be fully learnt..."

Izaak Walton "The Compleat Angler", 1653<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How much oil do you use? (4 stroke) 

Matt Lang wrote:
 > "K. Smith" <ksmith1 RemoveThis @msn.com> wrote in message news:<3059dsF2q1vmtU1 RemoveThis @uni-berlin.de>...
 >
  >> (ii) You should at least once a season clean out the oil reservoir on
  >> the 2 strokes (new or old type), the oil in a vented tank absorbs
  >> moisture which creates a sludge in the bottom of the tank.
 >
 > Yikes! I didnt know that ... how is that done? flush it with oil?

I ran a Merc Opti 135 from 1998 to 2003, put hundreds of hours on it,
left the oil in the storage tank over the winter, NEVER cleaned out the
oil in the tank, and never had a problem with the oil, or the oil
feeding, or, in fact, anything else with that engine.

I don't recall any mention of the necessity of cleaning out the
reservoir tank in either the Opti owner's manual or the Opti service
manual.

Further, I'm not sure the tank is "vented," except when you open it up
to fill it. Once it is filled, the cap and hose on the external tank fit
tightly. There's no vent. Further, I pulled off the "hood" of the Opti
several times a season for various reasons, and never saw any reasons to
drain or clean the on-board oil tank...which was quite small.

I would check with a good Opti service manager before taking Ms. Smith's
word on *anything* to do with modern outboard motors. To the best of
everyone's knowledge here, she's never even seen one.



--
A passing thought:

"I wish I wasn't the war president. Who in the heck wants to be a war
president? I don't." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Aug. 6, 2004<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How much oil do you use? (4 stroke)